Mowbray mystified by red card

Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray criticised referee Carl Boyeson for being "too clever for his own good" as he controversially dismissed Barry Robson at the end of a 2-0 defeat to Leeds.

The game was lost by half-time, Robert Snodgrass firing underneath Jason Steele in the 18th minute and Luciano Becchio converting Ross McCormack's cross following a mistake by Justin Hoyte.

But Boyeson ruled against Robson after a tangle of arms and legs with Leeds' Adam Clayton, the latter receiving only a yellow card for his part in it and Mowbray said: "I think it was one of those scenarios where the referee was trying to be too clever for his own good."

He added: "He's seen something that might be there or might not be there. If we'd had a more experienced referee he'd have pulled the game up before that and defused the situation.

"Barry had been fouled for about five seconds continuously, having his shirt dragged off him and then the boy (Clayton) scythed him down as Barry was getting up.

"I don't want to make too big an issue out of it because the referee wasn't the reason we lost the game today.

"He should have shown more common sense, but there you go."

An elated Warnock was eager not to get carried away after reducing the gap between his side and Cardiff, currently in the last play-off place, to just four points with his first victory since taking over from Simon Grayson.

He said: "We have to win a number of games now but we're quite capable of that so the players have got to show the consistency that I know they can show to have any chance whatsoever.

"The next game up (West Ham on Saturday) is fantastic. I said three weeks ago I wanted 30,000 fans at Elland Road, and they'll bring 4,000. I can't wait for that noise."